Editorial: Show of support

Since the bombings at the Boston Marathon a little more than a week ago, the outpouring of support from different corners of the world has been amazing.

The comfort, solidarity and solace has taken many forms, from candlelight vigils or people showing up at the funerals of the four victims to serve as a human barrier to prevent kooks with the Westboro Baptist Church from disrupting services, to the “Run4Boston” messages that were prevalent during the London Marathon and other road races held over the weekend.

And such support will surely continue as people want to express their feelings that they won’t be cowed by acts of terrorism.

We don’t think there’s any question that the outpouring of support has been heartfelt and sincere in the face of horror that claimed three lives and left many, many more dealing with the loss of limbs and other injuries. This tragedy also encompasses the killing of Sean Collier, and MIT police officer, and wounding of Richard H. Donohue Jr., the MBTA Transit Police officer, while the suspects remained at large.

As people have opened their hearts, they’ve also opened their wallets. As Boston Mayor Tom Menino said when he and Gov. Deval Patrick announced the creation of “One Fund Boston,” “Within an hour, I had calls from business leaders and local philanthropists who, like me, were heartbroken by the impact this hideous tragedy has had on individuals, their families, and friends.

“And they want to do everything they can to help these people physically and psychologically in the future.”

One Fund Boston has, so far, raised more than $10 million for the bombing victims and will likely continue to grow as more individuals and organizations find ways provide money for this worthy cause.

One Fund Boston seems like the best and more direct way to get money to the victims and their families.

But unfortunately, people need to be cautious since tragedies also open the door to scams where the money never makes it to those who it was intended for.

We’d also be leery of people who are in it for self-serving reasons or ego boosts. Thankfully, these folks don’t represent the true spirit that we seeing as people have reacted to these events.